Know Your Vinegar
Pickling season is here and it’s important to know about the various vinegars. Vinegar is usually made by oxidation of the alcohol in wine, cider, or malt. Vinegar provides the tart pucker flavor in pickles, but it also acts as a preservative. If a recipe calls for vinegar, it will most likely call for a particular type. If a recipe does not specify the type, use a vinegar that fits the recipe. White vinegar has a sharp flavor and is used for pickling and in recipes where a clean, strong taste is desired. Cider vinegar, made from apples, has a faint fruity flavor and is used in recipes where a slightly milder taste is preferred. You can replace white vinegar with cider vinegar in pickling recipes, as long as the cider vinegar has a 5% acidity level.
Since vinegar is very acidic, bacteria grow very poorly in it, or not at all. However, vinegar will still deteriorate if exposed to air and/or heat. Keep your vinegar capped and store it in a cool, dark, dry place. Vinegars can be flavored by adding slightly bruised herbs or fruit, heating the vinegar almost to body temperature, and sealing the bottle.
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Cheese on 62nd
Each week I try to visit a food shop or an interesting restaurant that I have never been to before. This week, by chance, I ran across a cute little cheese shop not far from Bloomingdales. Cheese on 62nd is the name of the shop and it is aptly named as it is on 62nd & Lexington. The refrigerated case was filled with nice cheeses, there were many hanging salamis and a nice variety of oils, vinegars and packaged treats. All in all a nice selection of Mediterranean goodies. They also make lunchtime sandwiches which looked good. The prices didn’t seem crazy (at least for New York) and the man behind the counter was very friendly as well. If you’re in the neighborhood you just may want to swing by and check it out.
Cheese on 62nd
134 E 62nd Street
New York, NY 10065
212-980-5544
Subway: Lexington Ave/63rd Street (F Train)
Lexington Ave/59th Street (N, Q, R Trains)
59th Street (4, 5, 6 Trains)
